Dispenser apparatus



Jan. 7,1958 w. c. JONES ET AL DISPENSER APPARATUS.

Filed July 25, 1.955

INVEN TORS. W /'///1Qm 6. Jon 6'8 Rqgm 0/70 4. Wya ff HTTORNEYJ United States Patent DISPENSER APPARATUS William C. Jones, Midland, and Raymond Wyatt,

Detroit, Mich., assignors to The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application July 25, 1955, Serial No. 524,005

3 Claims. (Cl. 312-39) This invention relates to a film or tape dispenser and limp, clinging films which carry a considerable static electrical charge, such as Saran film, for example.

When films such as Saran (which is composed of vinylidene chloride copolymers) are used in dispensers of the above described variety, uneven tearing of the film may occur, more film may be dispensed than is desired, or the torn edge of the roll of film may recede into the dispenser, making diflicult the removal of additional film without removing the roll of film from the dispenser.

Accordingly, a principal object of this invention is to provide an improved dispenser for limp, clinging films which is positive acting, and which, when used, provides a clean-cut edge on the free end of the roll of film and retains the free end of the roll of film on the exterior of the dispenser so that it may be easily grasped when more film is to be dispensed.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a rectangular box-like dispenser having a hinged lid which at least partially covers the top of the dispenser. A hinged cutter blade having a cutting edge which extends the length of the dispenser is pivoted so that downward pressure on the film to be cut lowers the cutting surface of the blade and moves the lower part of the blade against the roll of film in the container, holding the roll steady and in a fixed predetermined position in the dispenser.

The invention, as well as additional objects and ad vantages thereof, will best be understood when the following detailed description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a film dispenser made in accordance with this invention and including a roll of film in the dispenser;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the front of the dispenser shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the dispenser shown in Fig. l, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, there is shown a film dispenser, indicated generally by the numeral 10, having a sheet-like back panel 12, a flat bottom panel 14, a front panel 16, illustrated as of arcuate cross section, a hinged top panel or cover 18 and suitably shaped panels 20, 22 for enclosing the ends of the dispenser 10.

The cover 18 is hinged to the end panels 20, 22, as by the rivets 24, near the top rear part of the dispenser. The cover 18 extends from the rear of the dispenser apice proximately percent of the distance to the upper front edge 26 of the body of the dispenser 10.

A cutter blade, indicated generally by the numeral 28, which extends along substantially the entire length of the dispenser 10, is hinged at 30 near the top of each of the end panels 20, 22 and approximately under the forward edge 32 of the cover 18.

Referring also to Fig. 4, the cutter blade 28 has an upper section 34 of generally arcuate cross section which extends towards the cutting edge 36, which is illustrated as being serrated, from the pivot point 30 of the blade 28. The surface area of the blade section 34 exceeds the area of film 38 which must be un-rolled from the dispensing roll 40 as the roll 40 drops to the bottom of the dispenser 10 after a sheet of film 38 has been torn from the roll. (The roll 40 may rise slightly from the bottom of the dispenser as indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 4 as film is being withdrawn from the roll and will then settle back, unrolling slightly, as tension is released.)

The bottom section 42 of the blade 28 is so positioned with respect to the blade pivot that the fiat surface of the bottom section 42 is approximately tangent to the roll of film 40 against which it bears as film is torn from the roll along the cutting edge 36 of the blade 28. The bottom section 42 and the upper section 34 bearing the serrated cutting edge 36 are joined by an offset section 44 of the blade 28 which is out of the path of the film 38 being withdrawn from the dispenser roll 40.

The upper blade section 34 of arcuate cross section has a slightly roughened or satin" finish which is helpful in preventing excessive sticking of the film to the blade.

Roll stop means such as the wedge shaped projections 46 extend from the back panel and are out of contact with the roll of film when the roll 40 is at rest in the dispenser 10. These serve to prevent the roll from rising out of the box under the tension exerted while unrolling a desired length of film. Roll stop means of other suitable form may be used.

Wall mounting brackets 48 of any convenient type are secured to or are integral with the back panel.

The operation of the dispenser is as follows:

A roll 40 of film is inserted in the dispenser It) with the film 38 unwinding from the bottom of the roll 40 in the direction of the front 16 of the dispenser 10. The sheet of film 38 is pulled to extend over the cutting or tearing edge 36 of the blade 28. The cover 18 of the dispenser is then closed.

To remove and tear film 38 from the roll 40, the film 38 is grasped along the top surface of the upper section 34 of the blade 28 and pulled. When sufficient film 38 has been unrolled, the film sheet is torn from the roll 40 by pulling downwardly on the film 38. The downward force on the film 38 lowers the upper section 34 of the blade 28, forcing the lower or bottom section 42 of the blade 28 against the roll and holding the roll in position (which is usually against the stop members 46 if the film 38 has been pulled rapidly from the dispenser).

Because the lower section 42 of the blade 28 holds the roll in position during the tearing operation, the film 38 may be evenly torn along the serrated cutting edge 36 of the blade 28 as a one handed operation.

The roll 40 may rise from the bottom 14 of the dispenser 10 while film 38 is withdrawn therefrom. However, the cling tendency of that part of the film 38 which contacts the top surface of the upper section 34 of the blade 28 prevents the free end of the film 38 from Withdrawing iuto the interior of the dispenser as the roll 40 falls back to the bottom of the dispenser 10.

The dispenser box may be fabricated either of metal, wood, fiberboard, or plastic, such as polystyrene, or other material which has suitable characteristics. Similarly the shape of the dispenser box and the manner of hinging the cover onto the box, or of pivoting the blade, for example, may be changed as long as the described relationship between the blade, roll, and stop means is maintained.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for dispensing and severing sections of sheet material having a considerable static electrical charge from a roll of such sheet material contained within the apparatus, comprising a box-like container dimensioned to hold therein a roll of said sheet material, said container comprising a front panel, a flat back panel, end panels, a fiat bottom panel and a top cover having a front part and a back part, said back part being hinged to at least one of said panels, said cover extending a major part of the distance between the back and front of the container, a pivoted cutter blade for severing film material, said blade being pivotally attached only to the ends of said container and having an upper section which extends the length of said container and projects over the upper edge of the front panel, said upper section having a cutting edge, a lower blade section having a side surface which is adapted to bear against said roll in line contact therewith when said upper section is moved downwardly, and an olfset blade section joining said upper section and said lower blade section, said offset section being out of the path of said sheet material as it is dispensed or torn from the roll, and stop means projecting inwardly from said container for limiting the upward movement of said roll as sheet material is withdrawn therefrom.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said stop means projecting inwardly comprises a plurality of wedges of generally V-shaped cross-sectional configuration, the sections extending inwardly from the back of the container at sufiicient height to allow only a small upward movement of said roll.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the upper section of the blade has a satin finish.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 302,735 Johnson July 29, 1884 1,243,569 Taylor Oct. 16, 1917 1,651,434 Bell Dec. 6, 1927 1,953,349 Jarvis Apr. 3, 1934 2,344,340 Adams Mar. 14, 1944 

